Ahhh . . the Bosch Mixer

The new mixer arrived yesterday and I was up to my eyeballs in apples so I unpacked the box, set it on the countertop and that’s it.  Thankfully, we needed bread today so I was able to use it.  Even if we hadn’t needed bread, I would have come up with some use for it today.

If you’re a bread baker, and if you’re using a Kitchen Aid, even the older ones made by Hobart, you wouldn’t believe the difference this Bosch mixer makes!  After having loved my Kitchen Aid for 20+ years, here are the things that had me jumping for joy this morning.

1. This thing is quick!  With my bread recipe in the Kitchen Aid, it probably took about 5 – 7 minutes to get everything mixed up and all the flour incorporated.  I’d have to stop at some point, lift the top of the mixer and use a spoon to try to get all the flour in the bottom of the bowl mashed into the dough ball.  I put all the ingredients in the Bosch bowl, turned it on and my baking friends, it was instant!  I actually stood there in disbelief for a second!
2. The Bosch is stationary!  That rascal doesn’t move at all.  It has rubber feet but because of the way it works, I doubt it would move without the rubber feet.  I wouldn’t dare turn my back on the Kitchen Aid with a batch of bread dough because he was just dying to dive off the countertop.
3. When I make whole wheat bread, I mix it up, let it sit for 45 minutes, then mix it some more.  I had to lift the head of the Kitchen Aid, cover it with a towel and let it sit.  I’d take the dough hook out and wash it so the dough didn’t dry on there during the 45 minutes.  The way the Bosch is made, I just snap that lid back on and it sits there.  No towel, no washing the dough hook.
4. I can add ingredients without getting them all over me.  Last week, while still using the Kitchen Aid, when I was making the apple cake, I had the cake all mixed up and decided to add a bit more vanilla.  It splashed up when the mixer started.  I knew I had some on my face but thought I’d wiped it all off and didn’t bother to check.  Vince walked in later and said “OMG!  You have blood on your face!”  It had dried and looked like dried blood.  I said “oh, no . . it’s just vanilla” and he’s probably still wondering why I had vanilla on my face.  No, actually, he’s probably thinking . . thank goodness it’s just vanilla because blood could mean injury which could cost me $$.

Here’s the mixer in action, with the little top lid off where I could add additional water to my dough . . which I did without getting splashed.

I also got the blender (which goes on that little part sticking out in the back right) and the food processor which goes in place of the mixing bowl.  Can’t wait to use either of those.  Seems like a strawberry shake may need to be made today . . just to test the blender, you know?

The only negative thing about the mixer, and this is just what I’ve heard . . I can’t say from experience.  It comes with the dough hook you see on there now and a whip type gizmo.  The whip type thing is for egg whites and things that pour.  The dough hook is for . . dough!  There’s a cookie paddle that’s about $20 extra that can be ordered.  They say not to use the whip for things that aren’t liquid because they could bend.  Some people have complained that the dough hook doesn’t do a great job with cookie dough type batter and they think that for the price of the mixer, the cookie paddle should be included.  I asked when I ordered mine and was told that dough hook works just fine for cookies so I didn’t order the cookie paddles.  I’ll let you know how it all works when I get ready to make cookies.

Anyway, for bread, I dearly love how this mixer works compared to the Kitchen Aid.